Tottenham Hotspur have snapped up HJK Helsinki youngster Maximus Tainio - son of former Spurs player Teemu Tainio - on a two year academy deal, according to the Finnish club.

The 15-year-old midfielder will do well to follow in the footsteps of his father, who currently carries out some scouting work for Tottenham.

Tainio Snr became something of a cult hero among the fans during the Martin Jol era, thanks to his workrate and crunching tackles as well as the fact that he freely admitted he was a Spurs fan growing up.

The two-year option for his son is believed to contain an option for Spurs to make the teenager's deal a professional one during his development. He will link up with the North Londoners in the summer.

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"I'm so happy with the contract, as this is quite rare for Finnish players. The future, of course, is also exciting, but certainly I need to adapt quickly to a new environment," said Maximus.

HJK say the youngster has visited Spurs three times in recent months and has been involved in some youth matches. His father was at Spurs' training ground towards the end of last week with the Finnish club stating that the deal was signed on Friday.

Teemu, who played for Spurs between 2005 and 2008 and won the League Cup under Juande Ramos, said: "This is where the hard work begins. The doors have been opened, now he can show his abilities."

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HJK Academy coach Erkki Valla added: "Of course we would be happy to keep Maximus at the club, but his transfer to the Premier League into a large organization is a wonderful thing for us. Maximus' example is an inspiration to others."